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US Representative Jared Huffman: MSA reauthorization unlikely to pass this term

October 22, 2022 — The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife may have passed H.R. 4690 – the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act, the latest attempt to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) – but U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) told SeafoodSource the chances of it passing this session are slim.

The bill was approved by the committee on 29 September, 2022, leaving a relatively short time for it to pass through both the U.S. House and Senate before the end of the year, when the current congressional term expires.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Department of Commerce Announces 2022 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils

June 28, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the appointment of 20 new and returning members to the regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage marine fishery resources.

Established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, councils are responsible for developing region-specific fishery management plans that safeguard and enhance the nation’s fisheries resources. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations, and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and manage them sustainably.

NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils through the process of developing fishery management plans. We also review, approve, and implement the plans.

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories, and tribal governments.

Council members are appointed to both state-specific and regional seats—also known as obligatory and at-large seats, respectively.  Council members serve a three-year term and may be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms.

* Asterisk following a member’s name indicates a reappointment

New England Council

The New England Council includes members from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. 2022 appointees will fill one obligatory seat for New Hampshire, and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seat

Peter Whelan (New Hampshire)

At-large seats

Eric Hansen (Massachusetts)

Richard Bellavance (Rhode Island)*

Mid-Atlantic Council

The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 2022 appointees will fill one obligatory seat for Delaware, and three at-large seats.

Obligatory seat

Paul ‘Wes’ Townsend (Delaware)*

At-large seats

Scott Lenox (Maryland)*

Peter Hughes (New Jersey)*

Ken Neill (Virginia)

South Atlantic Council

The South Atlantic Council includes members from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 2022 appointees will fill two obligatory seats for North Carolina and South Carolina.

Obligatory seats

Robert ‘Tim’ Griner (North Carolina)*

Gary Borland (South Carolina)

Caribbean Council

The Caribbean Council includes members from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 2022 appointee will fill one at-large seat.

At-large seat

James Kreglo (U.S. Virgin Islands)

Gulf Council

The Gulf Council includes members from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. 2022 appointees will fill two obligatory seats for Mississippi and Texas, and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seats

Michael McDermott (Mississippi)

Troy Williamson, II (Texas)*

At-large seat

Thomas Frazer (Florida)*

Pacific Council

The Pacific Council includes members from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The Pacific Council also includes one Tribal seat. 2022 appointees will fill one obligatory seat for Idaho, and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seat

Peter Hassemer (Idaho)*

At-large seat

Marc Gorelnik (California)*

North Pacific Council

The North Pacific Council includes members from Alaska and Washington. 2022 appointees will fill two obligatory seats for Alaska.

Obligatory seats

Angela Drobnica (Alaska)

Nicole Kimball (Alaska)*

Western Pacific Council

The Western Pacific Council includes members from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 2022 appointees will fill one obligatory seat for American Samoa, and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seat

William Sword (American Samoa)*

At-large seats

Judith Guthertz (Guam)

Shaelene Kamakaala (Hawaii)

 

WASHINGTON: Graves Pushes Biden Administration to Get Disaster Aid to Fishermen

February 2, 2022 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Garret Graves:

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves is pushing U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Gina Raimondo to expedite “Fishery Disaster Determination” due to major damage related to impacts of Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and especially Ida. Graves’ ask comes after a recent economic assessment verifies what we have been saying about the impact to our fishing communities. He is also working to reform the disaster designation process for the fishing community.

Immediately after Hurricane Ida, we worked to secure $200 million in federal funding for fisheries disaster assistance, but this down payment can’t be made available for rebuilding our resources until a fisheries disaster has been determined. Under law, only the U.S. Secretary of Commerce can make this determination.

“The recovery doesn’t just happen overnight and for every additional day that the bureaucratic process drags on, our fishers and associated small businesses can’t get back on their feet to rebuild their livelihood. Our fishermen have taken a pounding over the last several years. Hurricanes, floods, unfair trade practices, inflation, worker shortages and government over-regulation have taken their toll – all of which have been a major blow to our workforce and consumer demand. This report verifies what we have been saying about the hurricane impacts and clearly justifies the fisheries assistance we’ve already funded. We need to get assistance to our fishing communities and it has to happen in a timeframe that will actually provide immediate assistance,” Graves said.

DOC is able to declare the disaster provided by the provisions within the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act. The declared disaster would provide targeted relief to one of the most impacted sectors of Louisiana’s economy. The funds would help both commercial and recreational fishers begin to recover.

Click here to read the letter.

 

North Pacific Council Weighs in on MSA Reauthorization Bills

November 8, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — In response to a request from Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council reviewed three bills related to the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, comparing them to the current law and practices used to manage the nation’s largest fisheries.

“The North Pacific Council believes that the current MSA already provides a very successful framework for sustainable fisheries management, and major changes are not necessary at this time,” wrote NPFMC chair Dan Hull.

“Nevertheless, we also recognize the potential benefits of increased flexibility in some circumstances, and amending the Act to provide for such flexibility could provide all the regional councils additional opportunities to optimize their fishery management programs, with appropriate cautionary notes and limitations.

“In order for the Council to provide for the continued conservation of our resources, any changes to the law providing additional flexibility must continue to ensure that fundamental conservation and management tenets based on sound science are upheld, and should not create incentives or justifications to overlook them,” Hull wrote.

Allowing more flexibility in fisheries management, particularly when stocks in a rebuilding phase, is a hot-button issue with many stakeholders, not just in the North Pacific but nationwide. Proponents of adding more flexibility to any new legislation say the current law is too protective of the resource at a cost to the fishery. They urge more flexibility so that each management council can optimize yield without jeopardizing the resource.

“Regarding potential changes and increased flexibility for stock rebuilding plans, the NPFMC believes that further flexibility, would appropriately increase the ability to maximize harvest opportunities while still effecting rebuilding of fish stocks,” noted Hull, referring to HR 200, the bill introduced by Alaska Congressman Don Young.

“The arbitrary 10-year requirement may constrain the Councils management flexibility with overly restrictive management measures, with unnecessary, negative economic impacts, with little or no conservation gain,” Hull wrote.

Another controversal issue is using annual catch limits (ACLs) to manage stocks, something opponents have said needlessly restricts a fishery. Hull defended the importance of ACLs as a foundational part of fisheries management.

“Annual catch limits (ACLs) have been used in the North Pacific for over 30 years, and such limits are a cornerstone of sustainable fisheries management. We also believe there are situations where some flexibility in the establishment of ACLs is warranted, particularly in the case of data poor stocks.

“Consideration of the economic needs of fishing communities is critical in the ACL setting process, and while the current MSA allows for such consideration, we recognize the desire for a more explicit allowance for these considerations.

“We must be careful however, not to jeopardize long term fisheries sustainability, and associated community vitality and resiliency, for the sake of short term preservation of all economic activity associated with a fishery,” he wrote.

“Accounting for uncertainty, articulating policies for acceptable risk, and establishing the necessary precautionary buffers, are all explicit outcomes of the ACL process, and we believe that the [Scientific and Statistical Committees] SSCs are the appropriate gatekeepers to establish the upper limits of ‘safe’ fishing mortality. This limit, which is established as the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) level, appears to be consistent with the provisions of H.R.200,” Hull added.

Speaking to Rep. Garrett Grave’s (R-LA) S. 1520 Modernizing Recreational Fishing Management Act of 2017, Hull noted that “alternative measures” may not meet the standard in the current MSA.

“The bill provides the councils authority to use alternative measures in recreational fisheries including extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control rules, or traditional or cultural practices.

“The NPFMC notes that it is unclear if alternative fishery management measures replace the requirement for ACLs. Nevertheless, fisheries managed under alternative measures should be accountable to the conservation and management provisions of the MSA, including prevention of overfishing. ACL’s serve as the primary conservation measure for fish stocks in the North Pacific, and have effectively prevented overharvesting in our fisheries. The NPFMC also notes that traditional or cultural practices are not normally considered as recreational fisheries,” Hull wrote.

Hull also addressed the section in the bill related to rebuilding overfished stocks that would mandate a rebuilding term to be “as short as possible” but in any case not to exceed ten years.

“The NPFMC believes that the arbitrary 10-year time period can be harmful to resource users and fishing communities if it prohibits even limited fishing activity under a scientifically sound rebuilding plan. Replacing the term ‘possible’ with ‘practicable’ provides the councils with more flexibility to incorporate the needs of fishing communities in maintaining economic stability during a rebuilding period,” Hull wrote.

The NPFMC took issue with sections of Rep. Jared Huffman’s Discussion Draft (also called “Strengthening Fishing Communities Through Improving Science, Increasing Flexibility, and Modernizing Fisheries Management Act”) in certain areas, while agreeing with others.

But a section requiring an assessment of conflict of interest of council members, triggered a lengthy comment on problems the NPFMC have faced and a solution they’ve offered to NMFS.

The current MSA conflict of interest language leaves a standard for recusal of a council member up for interpretation. The recusal provision in the current law requires full economic disclosure but also that an affected individual not be allowed to vote on council decisions that would have a significant and predictable effect on a member’s financial interest.

“The MSA language left the issues of significant and predictable effect open for interpretation, so NMFS developed a regulation that set a 10% threshold for a significant effect, which is the basis for determining whether a recusal is required,” explained Hull.

“The primary problem is the way in which NOAA calculates a member’s financial interests in determining whether the 10% thresholds are exceeded. The NOAA and NMFS policy is to attribute all fishing activities of a company — even partially owned by an associated company — in calculating an individual Council member’s interests. The North Pacific Council believes that this attribution policy is inconsistent with the intent of the conflict of interest statute and regulations.

“The following example helps to explain this issue: Joe Councilman works for Fishing Company A, which owns 50% of Fishing Company B, which in turn owns 3% of Fishing Company C. NOAA uses ALL harvesting and processing activity by ALL three of these companies in determining whether Joe Councilman exceeds any of the 10% thresholds,” Hull explained.

“The North Pacific Council believes that this is an unfair and illogical interpretation of the recusal regulations, and results in unintended recusals of Council members. The North Pacific Council believes that NOAA should use only the amount of harvesting or processing activity equivalent to the Council member’s percentage of ownership,” Hull continued.

“Using this proportional share approach, NOAA GC would use 100% of the harvesting and processing activity of Fishing Company A, 50% of the harvesting and processing activity of Fishing Company B, and 1.5% of the harvesting and processing activity of Fishing Company C to determine whether Joe Councilman exceeds any of the thresholds.

“At our request, NOAA and NMFS revisited the attribution policy, but to date, have declined to make changes,” Hull wrote.

Finally, on behalf of the NPFMC, Hull asked that any new legislation:

• Avoids across the board mandates which could negatively affect one region in order to address a problem in another region.

• Allows flexibility in achieving conservation objectives, but be specific enough to avoid lengthy, complex implementing regulations or ‘guidelines’.

• Is in the form of intended outcomes, rather than prescriptive management or scientific parameters.

• Avoids unrealistic/expensive analytical mandates relative to implementing fishery closures or other management actions.

• Avoids constraints that limit the flexibility of Councils and NMFS to respond to changing climates and shifting ecosystems.

• Avoids unfunded mandates.

• Prioritizes the reservation and enhancement of stock assessments and surveys among the highest when considering any changes to the Act.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Judge denies feds’ motion for Carlos Rafael to forfeit more vessels, permits

October 26, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. —  Judge William Young didn’t waste any time denying the United States’ motion for reconsideration in the case of Carlos Rafael.

The government filed the reconsideration on Wednesday, the same day Young filed his judgment.

The government sought Young to reconsider the forfeitability of Rafael’s vessels and permits.

Young ordered four vessels and the accompanying permits to be forfeited on Oct. 11. U.S. Marshals seized the vessels the Lady Patricia, Olivia & Rafaela and the Southern Crusader II on Oct. 18.

The reconsideration stated, “the court may correct a sentence that resulted from arithmetical, technical or other clerical error” within 14 days. The government, again, is seeking Rafael to forfeit all 13 vessels and permits associated with his guilty plea to 28 counts of falsifying fishing quota, bulk cash smuggling and tax evasion.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Members of Congress Want Department of Justice to Penalize Carlos Rafael For Violations of MSA

October 27, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Commercial fishing mogul Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael pled guilty for violations of the Lacey Act, but now Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree want the Department of Justice to penalize him for violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

Grijalva and Pingree sent a letter on Thursday to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Department of Justice Attorney General Jeff Sessions seeking for the forfeiture of assets and permits that are not “directly linked to a specific crime.”

“We are writing today to follow up on a letter sent September 21, 2017 regarding Carlos Rafael, the leader of a massive illegal fishing operation in New England, reads the letter. “While Rafael pled guilty to violations of the Lacey Act and was recently sentenced to 46 months in prison, the judge bizarrely rejected the government’s recommendation that Rafael forfeit all 13 vessels involved in the crimes, instead requiring the forfeiture of only four vessels and 34 permits and levying a much lower fine than the government had recommended. We want to thank the Justice Department for its recent motion asking the court to reconsider the ruling, including the level of the fines.”

The letter goes on to state that it’s “unacceptable” to allow Rafael to “maintain the ability to transfer or sell millions of dollars worth of assets.” Although Rafael can no longer participate in the fishery, he still has a reported 27 fishing vessels, as well as an assortment of permits.

“Congress gave the Secretaries clear authority to completely remove bad actors from the fishing industry,” Grijalva said in a press release. “If they don’t use the authority here, it will send a clear signal to Codfather wannabees that the Magnuson Act is a joke. This administration claims to be all about law and order – this is a chance to prove it.”

The letter comes just as William D. Weinreb, acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachussetts, filed a motion to reconsider the forfeiture of Rafael’s vessels.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Feds seek dismissal of lawsuit over extended red snapper season

October 19, 2017 — WASHINGTON — U.S. officials accused of allowing red snapper to be overfished in the Gulf of Mexico have called on a federal judge to enter a summary judgement in their case, saying the environmental organizations suing them have a moot point.

The rule challenged by Ocean Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund to extend the recreational fishing season has already expired, said Jeffrey Wood, the acting assistant attorney general for the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Wood also claims the federal court has no jurisdiction over the case.

“Even if the court were to find it has jurisdiction, the only appropriate course at this juncture is to remand to the agency for further action consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act,” Wood argued in a 13 October filing.

The two organizations filed suit against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service in July, a month after officials added 39 more days to the recreational fishing season.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Small-Boat Fishing Groups Make Pleas to New Congress

March 7, 2017 — Local fishermen were in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to present their issues and concerns to the new Congress.

Cape Codders and other fishermen from across the nation with the Fishing Communities Coalition make the trip whenever a large number new representatives or senators are elected.

Cape Cod Fisherman’s Alliance CEO John Pappalardo was among those who visited over 30 Congressional offices.

He said that securing funding for fisheries management, managing a sustainable industry, and providing a clearer financial path for new fishermen to join the career path were among the top talking points.

“Fisheries have been a bi-partisan issue, and I would expect that when we and other industry groups make the case for how important the jobs and the protein these fishermen provide are, it’ll be a pretty easy sell,” Pappalardo said.

He also said that there was some discussion over converting many of the species caught for export into a domestic product.

The importance of building on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act was also touched on, he said.

Pappalardo said he advocated for the National Young Fishermen’s Development Program, an initiative which would tackle the increasingly high cost of entry and limited growth opportunities young men and women face in the career path.

The trip took place before the announcement of a potential federal budget cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Pappalardo said he and his colleagues will keep an eye on that.

Read the full story at Capecod.com

New England Fishery Managment Council Approves 2017 Management Priorities

December 16, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Managment Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council recently approved its 2017 management priorities, which will guide the Council’s committees and working groups in the year ahead. The Council annually takes this step for two reasons: to focus its time on mutually agreed-upon issues of importance; and to give the public a snapshot of what to expect in the foreseeable future.

“Our priority-setting exercise helps us determine how to best allocate available resources,” said Council Executive Director Tom Nies. “We always have more proposals on the table than we’re able to handle each year, so by collectively deciding upfront which actions rank the highest, we’re able to work much more efficiently on the Council’s most pressing issues without getting sidetracked.”

Setting annual catch limits and other fishery specifications – a requirement under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act – remains the Council’s highest cross-cutting priority.

But for 2017, the Council also supported many high-priority items that fishermen and other stakeholders said were especially important. Here are a few of the highlights that were approved during the Council’s mid-November meeting in Newport, Rhode Island:

  • Sea scallops: Consider regulatory changes to the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area;
  • Groundfish: Revise Atlantic halibut management measures;
  • Groundfish: Review groundfish catches in “other” non-groundfish fisheries and assess implications;
  • Recreational fishing: Improve Gulf of Maine cod and haddock recreational management process;
  • Barndoor skates: Initiate action to allow landings of this rebuilt species;
  • Habitat: Coordinate wind power issues with other agencies over the long term, not just 2017; and
  • Council: Conduct a programmatic review of Council operations.
  • Atlantic herring – Continue work on Amendment 8 to address localized depletion and user conflicts in the fishery and develop a new acceptable biological catch control rule using a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process;
  • Habitat – Complete the Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment and a separate framework adjustment to address surf clam fishery access to pending Habitat Management Areas;
  • Whiting – Move forward with Amendment 22 to consider limited access for the Small-Mesh Multispecies Complex and consider changes to possession limits;
  • Skates – Prepare an amendment to consider limited access for both the skate bait and skate wing fisheries with provisions that may consider catch share alternatives; and
  • Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management – Continue work on the development of operating models and a draft example Georges Bank Fishery Ecosystem Plan and develop a MSE process to engage fishermen and other stakeholders while conducting testing and validation.

A table identifying all of the Council’s 2017 management priorities is available at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/161201_Approved_Priorities.pdf

See the full release at the NEFMC

Senators Murray, Cantwell Push to Declare Six Fisheries Disasters in Washington State

December 5th, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA):

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker calling for a declaration of commercial fisheries failures for six pending fishery disaster requests.

Fishing communities up and down Washington’s coast have suffered through several years of lower-than-expected catch. A federal fishery disaster declaration would make communities eligible for funding for projects such as fisheries recovery, job training, and infrastructure investments in the communities hardest hit.

Washington’s maritime industry supports almost 60,000 jobs directly and contributes $30 billion in economic activity each year, not including the shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and outfitters that benefit indirectly. The fisheries are also of tremendous significance to the state’s Tribal fishermen, who have been harvesting fish on Washington’s coast for thousands of years.

“Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage,” the Senators wrote. “Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests.”

The outstanding requests currently before the Department of Commerce include:

  • 2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.
  • 2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.
  • 2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.
  • 2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.
  • 2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.
  • 2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

Full text of the letter can be found below.

 

The Honorable Penny Pritzker

Secretary of Commerce

United States Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, D.C. 20230

 

Dear Secretary Pritzker:

 

We write to urge you to use your authority under Section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1861a) to declare commercial fishery failures for six pending Washington state fishery disaster requests. The importance of these fisheries to the Pacific Northwest is enormous, and their failure has far reaching consequences for tribal, commercial and recreational fishermen across Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.

 Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage. The maritime industry in Washington state alone directly employs 57,700 people and contributes $30 billion in economic activity annually. In turn, fisheries support industries such as shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, gear manufacturers, and outfitters. However, several years of lower-than-expected returns have compounded the economic and cultural effects that local fishery disasters have had on coastal communities.

In addition to the economic impacts on the commercial maritime industry, fishery disasters limit the opportunity for Tribal subsistence and ceremonial harvests. Fishery disasters result in a significant nutritional, cultural and financial burden for Washington state tribes, adding to the importance of a swift response to fishery disasters. Tribes have been fishing the coastal waters of Washington state for thousands of years and the federal government has a responsibility to uphold their treaty fishing rights.

Given the vast impact that these disasters have had on communities across Washington state, we request an expedited review of the following requests, currently before the Department of Commerce:

·         2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.

·         2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.

·         2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.

·         2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.

·         2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

·         2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

 

Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests

Sincerely,

__________________________

Patty Murray

U.S. Senator  

__________________________

Maria Cantwell

U.S. Senator

###

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